Help build R20 000 Gaming Computer

Just to plop my 2c into here, but placing a side fan next to my 6870 crossfire dropped the temps by about 10 deg.

Coolermaster CM690ii with 2x 14cm intake, 1 x 12cm exhaust and 1 x 14 cm exhaust plus a bottom 14cm intake
 
My display card runs close to 90 degrees when pushed. I have a PCI card below it worth about R50,000 and it's not even slightly phased by the heat from above, neither am I. Air is a very poor conductor of heat so even though your display card core might be running close to 100 degrees, the air around the PCI card next to it won't get anywhere near that temperature. With a decent supply of cool air coming in from the from low down at the front and some extraction high up at the back, I wouldn't imagine any problems. Not that a side fan is a bad idea, but with proper front-to-back air flow it's not a requirement.
 
South_Bit said:
My display card runs close to 90 degrees when pushed. I have a PCI card below it worth about R50,000 and it's not even slightly phased by the heat from above, neither am I. Air is a very poor conductor of heat so even though your display card core might be running close to 100 degrees, the air around the PCI card next to it won't get anywhere near that temperature. With a decent supply of cool air coming in from the from low down at the front and some extraction high up at the back, I wouldn't imagine any problems. Not that a side fan is a bad idea, but with proper front-to-back air flow it's not a requirement.
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Thanks. :)
 
killadoob said:
and about 100 degrees of heat coming off my 6990
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When its on fire? The GPU core shouldn't even get to this temperature. You have 100 degrees of heat dissipating from the card? Does your PC run on gasoline?

On the GPU:
Unlocking the 6950 doesn't work anymore AFAIK. Bought a Saffire 6950 earlier this year only to learn that the dual bios switch thingy was no more.

I would get a 2GB RAM GPU though. Textures aren't getting smaller.
 
If you're going to get an i7, why get LGA 1156?! LGA 1366 or bust. I'd rather spend the money wisely on a high end i5 as many others have recommended.
 
unskinnybob said:
When its on fire? The GPU core shouldn't even get to this temperature. You have 100 degrees of heat dissipating from the card? Does your PC run on gasoline?

On the GPU:
Unlocking the 6950 doesn't work anymore AFAIK. Bought a Saffire 6950 earlier this year only to learn that the dual bios switch thingy was no more.

I would get a 2GB RAM GPU though. Textures aren't getting smaller.
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I got an Asus 6950 and it still has the dual bios switch, I stand to be corrected but I think its only the saffire cards that are missing it.
 
web said:
I got an Asus 6950 and it still has the dual bios switch, I stand to be corrected but I think its only the saffire cards that are missing it.
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Thought it was only reference cards that allowed the unlock?
 
unskinnybob said:
If you're going to get an i7, why get LGA 1156?! LGA 1366 or bust. I'd rather spend the money wisely on a high end i5 as many others have recommended.
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The i7 mentioned is the 2600k which is LGA1155, not 1156
And why would you recommend LGA1366 when its close to EOL, to be replaced by LGA2011?
 
I personally wouldn't drop 20k on a PC at this point in time.. Or well I wouldn't ever actually.. That's a bit over kill.
But if you must, you really shouldn't be looking at anything less than a gtx580 performance wise... Assuming this is just for gaming

SLI gtx570, i5 2500k,decent mobo, H100, haf-x /800D, 8GB, 120GB SSD, 2TB drive, and Corsair Ax-850w.
 
I have a GTX460 SLI setup in my CM 690 II Advanced case, and the vent for the side does make a difference in terms of the temperatures, but it is way too noisy if you install a fan there.

If you're concerned about the temperatures of a multi-GPU setup, then rather get a bigger & better case, instead of using just a single side-panel fan.

You'll be able to cool 2x HD6950's much better than 1x HD6990 and the performance would most likely be better too. The only thing that would be worse would be the power consumption.

The unlocking of the HD6950 was only for the reference design cards, but I suppose that most of them are still reference designs.

@NomNom:
Those Evetech PC's are good reference designs - much better than the original post - but they're still not the best value for money.
 
South_Bit said:
My display card runs close to 90 degrees when pushed. I have a PCI card below it worth about R50,000 and it's not even slightly phased by the heat from above, neither am I. Air is a very poor conductor of heat so even though your display card core might be running close to 100 degrees, the air around the PCI card next to it won't get anywhere near that temperature. With a decent supply of cool air coming in from the from low down at the front and some extraction high up at the back, I wouldn't imagine any problems. Not that a side fan is a bad idea, but with proper front-to-back air flow it's not a requirement.
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Below yes but not above 2cm, i guess perhaps you guys are not grasping where the pci card is actually sitting. It is not underneath it's on top :D. I fully understand where heat goes and how it works but it would still worry me if i had to have had a 1.4k card sitting above my 6990 with barely any room between the top of the 6990 and the pci card. So call me paranoid but i wasn't gonna chance it. What vga card are you running BTW? Have you had felt how hot a 6990 is on the top of the card and not by the heat sink? For goodness sake it blows out air back and front haha, my pc room never needed a heater with a 6990 and 6970 :D. Anyways i guess you guys have not the seen the setup so you are assuming it is under the card and not on top. Anyways back on topic.

nakedpeanut said:
I personally wouldn't drop 20k on a PC at this point in time.. Or well I wouldn't ever actually.. That's a bit over kill.
But if you must, you really shouldn't be looking at anything less than a gtx580 performance wise... Assuming this is just for gaming

SLI gtx570, i5 2500k,decent mobo, H100, haf-x /800D, 8GB, 120GB SSD, 2TB drive, and Corsair Ax-850w.
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Hells yea, now that is a good setup.
 
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PostmanPot said:
We grasp that. :)
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So even sitting there 2cm's away it wouldn't be a problem? I could agree underneath where the heatsink is because it's much much cooler where the fan and heat sink is. I wouldn't have had a issue there but when it's so hot you cannot touch it and then you think about putting hardware 2cm above that heat hmmmmmm.

How much heat could a sound card take before it might fail? The interesting thing about the 6990 is the cores on the card are on the front and the back, sadly that is very bad news for cooling, 33cm of raw heat is not good for cooling. The core is right in the front so the pci card would have just above the core. Anyways i guess i am getting defensive about it :p but you guys have worked with 6990's so you know what i am talking about.
 
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killadoob said:
So even sitting there 2cm's away it wouldn't be a problem? I could agree underneath where the heatsink is because it's much much cooler where the fan and heat sink is. I wouldn't have had a issue there but when it's so hot you cannot touch it and then you think about putting hardware 2cm above that heat hmmmmmm.

How much heat could a sound card take before it might fail?
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The surface heat (and core temp) are misleading you into thinking it'd be a problem. :) Which to an extent is understandable.

FWIW, just to illustrate a different point, I run my Corsair 650D with 1 x 80mm fan at front top-center of case going over 3 x HDDs (Vantec triple HDD enclosure), and the stock 1 x 120mm fan at the back. Q9550 @ 3.6GHz, 4x2GB DDR2, HD6970, Asus Xonar Essence STX 2cm above it, 2 x HDDs below Vantec enclosure. See sig. Both 200mm stock fans are disabled. CPU rarely maxes at 60'C, graphics card also at 80 - 90'C.

The point is PC cooling is overrated, and there are mainly external factors such as ambient temp which govern the need for excessive use of fans.
 
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PostmanPot said:
The surface heat (and core temp) are misleading you into thinking it'd be a problem. :) Which to an extent is understandable.

FWIW, just to illustrate a different point, I run my Corsair 650D with 1 x 80mm fan at front top-center of case going over 3 x HDDs (Vantec triple HDD enclosure), and the stock 1 x 120mm fan at the back. Q9550 @ 3.6GHz, 4x2GB DDR2, HD6970, Asus Xonar Essence STX 2cm above it, 2 x HDDs below Vantec enclosure. See sig. Both 200mm stock fans are disabled. CPU rarely maxes at 60'C, graphics card also at 80 - 90'C.

The point is PC cooling is overrated, and there are mainly external factors such as ambient temp which govern the need for excessive use of fans.
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But its so much fun doing major overkill! :D

I have 6 fans :D :p
 
Archer said:
I currently have... zero case fans!
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Noob :p

Hows the build coming i must go check up on it.

Postman mostly what irked me is the way you came across, "you thought a pci card would melt what good is your opinion" LOL, anyways no worries i am getting way too defensive. Ya ono me as well i am a fan freak, if i don't have at least 4-6 fans blowing i get worried :p, then again my pc room right now is 29 degrees :eek: and the 6990 is making my leg hot :p, stupid back blowing BS.

For the OP http://www.prophecy.co.za/sapphire-111650150r-radeon-hd5970-ddr5-256bit-pcie-p-69343.html 600 rand saving and a better card. Guys what would be wrong with taking this card now? Is it missing something the 6 series has? Power usage over the 6970? Caused it looks mighty cheap
 
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